Indian Fest to spice up the Boxing Day test

MELBOURNE, 23 Oct: Modern Indian food, music, art, and film will bring added spice to another Indian obsession – cricket – as part of a
free three-day festival coinciding with Australia vs India Boxing Day Test.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren launched the upcoming Indian Summer Festival in partnership with Cricket Australia.

John Eren said, “The Indian Summer Festival will transform Yarra Park into a mini India, complete with colorful street art, delicious
flavors from across India and performances by new and emerging artists.”

“The free festival will celebrate the richness of the Indian community in Victoria and bring added excitement to one
of the state’s most significant sporting events.”

The festival at Yarra Park, outside the iconic MCG, will celebrate the best of modern India through a jam-packed
program of live music, street art, dance, cinema, food, and cricket.

Highlights include performances by Indian Australian hip-hop artists, singers, and musicians, authentic Indian cuisine
from a range of food stalls, art direct from the streets of India and an open-air cinema.

Victorians will also be able to bat, bowl and field on a miniature Azad Maidan free play cricket pitch, styled after
the famous Mumbai cricket ground, and enjoy the spectacle of an exhibition kabaddi match.

The Indian Summer Festival begins on December 23 with the family fun day – an opportunity for fans to meet
players from both the Australian and Indian men’s cricket teams.

Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott said, “What a way to showcase our diversity during the cricket season with a festival that celebrates the best India has to offer and the positive contributions our Indian community has made.”

The festival supports Victoria’s India Strategy, launched in January, by showcasing Victoria as a world-class
the destination for sports, tourism, and culture, and as a welcoming business and trade partner.

Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts said, “Cricket is a shared love of Australia and India. We see this passion on the field whenever our teams meet as well as through the huge show of support from fans of both countries in the stands.”

Victoria is home to around 169,000 India-born people and remains an attractive destination for students from India
choosing to study in the state, with more than 40,000 enrolments in 2017.

The three-day festival is free and open to all members of the public. The full Indian Summer Festival line-up will be
announced in the coming months.